HOME Office minister Hazel Blears has promised a review of Merseyside's battle against organised crime.

She agreed to "look further" at chief constable Norman Bettison's complaints that his £320m budget does not reflect the pressures of curbing the region's crime overlords.

This week Merseyside won a 3.2% funding rise, in line with most other UK forces.

But the region's MPs told her that was not enough to deal with gangsters, gun-runners and drug-smugglers whose activities spill over Merseyside's borders.

Ms Blears said that as MP for Salford she is "very conscious of the pressures of serious and organised crime along the M62 corridor from Greater Manchester to Merseyside".

She added: "Merseyside has developed some extremely effective ways of dealing with it, but clearly that is at a cost to the force."

A government consultation paper was published last year on the long-term future of the police.

Ms Blears added: "We wanted to make sure that we got right not only community policing, but also the structure to deal with serious and organised crime which is unfortunately increasing in our communities.

"I undertake to look further at that matter." Merseyside's police strength is 4,111 full-time officers and 1,842 support staff, roughly in line with Home Office targets.

But Knowsley North and Sefton East MP George Howarth said: "The government should take into account the presence of organised crime in areas such as Merseyside when the funding formula is renewed.

"Merseyside has an exceptional burden. There should not be a fixed penalty for living in an area that has a higher than normal amount of organised crime."

Southport MP John Pugh said: "On Merseyside the police have to spend much time, resources and manpower on only a few, but none the less important, investigations into terrorism and the drugs trade. Liverpool is a port of access for both."